Subject: Salt and vinegar

From: [email-masked] (Susan Hattie Steinsapir)
Date: Sat, 9 Jul 1994 04:00:19 GMT

Re, the recent thread on pickles.

Today, I spoke with two master food preservers.  This is a group of 
experts sponsored by the University of California Cooperative Extension 
Work in Agriculture and Home Economics, Division of Agricultural Science, 
University of California, the US Department of Agriculture, and the 
County of Sacramento.  Blessed be!!

At any rate, I asked the ladies about salt.  Specifically, I asked if the 
rock salt that I bought in the Safeway was fit for human consumption.  
The consensus was that salt is salt is salt and that what I've been using 
is perfectly safe.  They said not to worry.  They did point out that 
since the salt is in big kernels, a tablespoon of it is actually less 
than a tablespoon.  They said that for serious canning, it's best to use 
stuff by the weight.  Their opinion was that I was safe if I used a tad 
more salt to make up for the kernels not occupying the same space as 
granulated salt would.  They said that I could forget finding "pickling 
salt" and we discussed the fact that regular salt has stabilzers and 
decakers in it, etc.  They said that this could affect the clarity of the 
solution but didn't think that it was a serious issue.  

They assured me that it was safe for me to take the big jugs of 
gardianiera out of the fridge.  Anything with as much vinegar as I put in 
that would be safe on the shelf and would cure a lot faster.  Plus, they 
pointed out that I'd have more room in the fridge.

If any of you want more information from the master food preservers, call 
US (916) 366-2013 (PST).  Their local address is 4145 Branch Center Road, 
Sacramento, California, USA 95827.  

This is a great group that provides a valuable public service.

Hope this helps.
-- 
Yours,
Susan
_____________________________________________________________________________
Susan Hattie Steinsapir       [email-masked]        Sacramento, California

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From: [email-masked] (Chris Gonna' Find Ray Charles Tate)
Date: Tue, 12 Jul 1994 18:08:32 GMT

In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked] (Susan Hattie Steinsapir) writes:
> is perfectly safe.  They said not to worry.

With all due respect to your sources, I'm not sure I feel comfortable
with this.  The "rock salt" for sale around here (almost always called
"halite" on the bag) is generally extremely dirty, as can be demonstrated
by dissolving some in water in a clear bowl, and watching all the black
residue that's left after the NaCl is dissolved.

Also, watch the ingredients label on "rock salt;" sometimes it's not
sodium chloride at all, but a different metal salt with similar ice-
melting properties.

Myself, I stick to kosher salt when I need a coarse grind.  Of course,
I don't do much in the way of pickling, or other activities that use up a
lot of salt.  Caveat whoever....  :-)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Christopher Tate             |  "There are 0 grams of fat in Mountain Dew.
MSD, Inc.                    |    That means it's good for you, right?"
[email-masked]    |         - Mike Wellman, in c.s.m.p

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From: [email-masked] (Susan Hattie Steinsapir)
Date: Wed, 13 Jul 1994 00:25:02 GMT

Well, I'm not buying halite, I'm buying rock salt in a white box 
from the shelf at Safeway.  I'm not buying it in big 25 or 50 pound sacks 
to de-ice the driveway.  I've boiled this stuff and there is no black 
residue.  

	I don't know exactly what you bought, but I haven't seen it for 
sale in the salt section at my local grocery store.

	Peace!

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From: [email-masked] (Charlie Sorsby)
Date: 13 Jul 1994 14:16:06 GMT

In article <[email-masked]> [email-masked] (Susan Hattie Steinsapir) writes:
= 	Well, I'm not buying halite, I'm buying rock salt in a white box 
= from the shelf at Safeway.  I'm not buying it in big 25 or 50 pound sacks 
= to de-ice the driveway.  I've boiled this stuff and there is no black 
= residue.  
= 
= 	I don't know exactly what you bought, but I haven't seen it for 
= sale in the salt section at my local grocery store.

I guess this is the problem--we've been discussing two or three
different products.  The "rock salt" that I was concerned about is
more like the stuff that I previous poster mentioned as being
"dirty."  It's commonly sold here as "ice cream salt" (for use in
the ice in ice cream freezers).  And of course, as several have
posted, there are the non-sodium salts.

I've never seen the kind of rock salt that Susan describes but
would like to find some for my salt mill--kosher salt is still a
bit fine for the mill and I don't particularly want to use sea
salt (the only large-chunk salt that I've found (in "health-food
stores") that purports to be suitable for human consumption).

Perhaps Susan can provide a bit more specific information about the
product that she buys--enough so that I could ask my supermarket to
stock some...

-- 
Best,

Charlie "Older than dirt" Sorsby				"I'm the NRA!"
	  [email-masked]

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From: [email-masked] (Sharen Rund-Bloechl)
Date: Fri, 15 Jul 1994 20:02:08 GMT

the following discussion's about rock salt, basically, there are two
types:

1) rock salt (also called sea salt) comes in small containers or tubes - can 
   be kosher - usually poured into a salt grinder and used the same as table
   salt - can be found in grocery stores (in the spice section - I get a tube
   about the size of pringles chips that's white w/blue design & lettering 
   and red top), or in specialty shops, Cost Plus, etc

2) rock salt (also called ice cream salt, water conditioner salt, etc) comes
   in big bags (easily 25#) - not recommended for table salt grinders - can be
   found in grocery stores, hardware stores, etc

Charlie Sorsby ([email-masked]) wrote:
: In article <[email-masked]> [email-masked] (Susan Hattie Steinsapir) writes:
: = 	Well, I'm not buying halite, I'm buying rock salt in a white box 
: = from the shelf at Safeway.  I'm not buying it in big 25 or 50 pound sacks 
: = to de-ice the driveway.  I've boiled this stuff and there is no black 
: = residue.  
: = 
: = 	I don't know exactly what you bought, but I haven't seen it for 
: = sale in the salt section at my local grocery store.

: I guess this is the problem--we've been discussing two or three
: different products.  The "rock salt" that I was concerned about is
: more like the stuff that I previous poster mentioned as being
: "dirty."  It's commonly sold here as "ice cream salt" (for use in
: the ice in ice cream freezers).  And of course, as several have
: posted, there are the non-sodium salts.

: I've never seen the kind of rock salt that Susan describes but
: would like to find some for my salt mill--kosher salt is still a
: bit fine for the mill and I don't particularly want to use sea
: salt (the only large-chunk salt that I've found (in "health-food
: stores") that purports to be suitable for human consumption).

: Perhaps Susan can provide a bit more specific information about the
: product that she buys--enough so that I could ask my supermarket to
: stock some...

: -- 
: Best,

: Charlie "Older than dirt" Sorsby				"I'm the NRA!"
: 	  [email-masked]

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